(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Angel Toledo enjoyed an extensive career with the Brownsville Public Utilities Board for over 30 years. Last February, he joined Texas State Technical College as an instructor for the Electrical Lineworker Technology program. He hopes his knowledge in the field not only helps his students build careers of their own, but also inspires them to love what they do.

What motivated you to want to become an instructor?

I am interested in sharing my experience in the electrical industry. I want to share the importance of safety while working on power lines. All the instructors teaching these courses at TSTC have 52 years of combined experience and knowledge, which is great.

Do you have any favorite TSTC memories so far?

I’m still new to TSTC. But as of now, I have found that TSTC has a great family tradition and professionalism with its faculty and staff.

What do you hope students gain from taking your courses?

I hope my students will understand and follow all of the safety rules. I hope to teach and share my knowledge with them about climbing, framing, connecting, troubleshooting, distribution and transmission, and underground circuits.

What advice would you give to anyone who is considering a career as a lineworker?

Lineman jobs are going to continue to rise and have great starting hourly salaries. In my opinion, being a lineman is one of the most decent professions in the world.

Fall registration is now underway. For more information on TSTC’s Electrical Lineworker Technology program, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/ElectricalLineworkerTechnology.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Cledia Hernandez, provost of Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, was featured in the summer 2020 issue of Valley Women Inspire, a free quarterly magazine published in the Rio Grande Valley.

Valley Women Inspire’s mission is to empower women in South Texas, and Hernandez’s determination and resilience are just a few of the traits that made her the perfect cover story for the magazine.

“Provost Hernandez was an incredibly charismatic and welcoming host at the regional spelling bee hosted by TSTC,” said Ernie Garrido, deputy editor of the Valley Morning Star. “Several of the Inspire team members who met her there knew immediately she would be a perfect person to profile as our cover story for the summer issue.”

In the issue, Hernandez, a first-generation college graduate, detailed her journey on the winding road to success. She credits the work ethic she saw in her parents for getting her where she is today.

“She shared very moving and emotional memories of her childhood,” said Garrido. “Her message is exactly what Inspire magazine is all about, and we certainly hope our readers will be moved and encouraged by her story.”

Life lessons from Hernandez’s childhood continue to influence her today.

“There comes a point in your life when you realize that everything your parents told you growing up truly resonates with you,” she said. “My dad taught me never to look at the barriers you may face. Instead, he always told me to look at how I could overcome them.”

Those lessons have helped Hernandez build a career that allows her to achieve her biggest passion: education.

“Our students are why we do what we do,” she said. “Knowing that I have an amazing group of colleagues I can surround myself with is inspiring. The impact that all of us have together is what drives me. The sky’s the limit.”

The latest issue of Valley Women Inspire is available now.

Fall registration at TSTC is currently underway. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Started in 2016, iServe Biomedical is a leading provider of medical equipment repairs serving the Houston area. Founders Javier Valdez and Rene Torres discussed their time at Texas State Technical College and how their Associate of Applied Science degrees in Biomedical Equipment Technology prepared them for this venture.

“TSTC provided the foundation for us,” Torres said. “Our time there prepared us both intellectually and socially for our careers and our adult life.”

The duo met when they were both working for another company. Their efforts not only allowed them to achieve leadership positions within that company, but also gave them the idea to use their expertise and experience to start a company of their own.

Hospitals, surgery centers, clinics, and home health providers are a few of the businesses that benefit from iServe Biomedical. While their business has seen success, the road to get there was not always smooth.

“Like other companies that are just starting, we struggled with gaining our clientele,” Valdez said. “It took us about eight months of planning and investing money into our business before we gained our first customer.”

Startup companies often face struggles at the beginning of their journeys because there is no money to keep them running. Not only did Valdez and Torres experience that, but they also faced disaster when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017.

“Our office became flooded, and we were not able to work,” Valdez said. “We felt a lot of pressure not to lose our newly established relationships with our customers.”

They eventually moved into a new facility, where they spent many late nights ensuring that their customers would have their equipment serviced in a timely manner.

Torres reiterated that customer satisfaction is their biggest goal and most valuable guarantee.

“We believe success can be measured in small increments,” he said. “For us, having happy customers is our success. It is seeing the results of our hard work and sacrifices that we’ve made.”

Ultimately, knowing that they are helping to change a person’s life is what keeps them motivated.

“It’s the rewarding feeling we get from knowing the equipment could be used to save a patient’s life,” Torres said. “It’s the response we get from patients and families who acknowledge the work we do.”

The motivation that drives them to continue to change lives is also the motivation that helped them in the pursuit of becoming business owners.

“I believe that there is no shortcut on the quest to success,” Valdez said. “We need to put in the work, set goals, focus, and work hard.”

“Attitude and perseverance go a long way,” Torres added. “There will be hurdles to keep you from reaching your goals, but keeping a positive attitude and continuing firmly toward your desired result will allow you to achieve success.”

To learn more about TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/BiomedicalEquipmentTechnology.

The current global pandemic has kept many students outside of the classroom and in their homes to continue their education. In response to this, Texas State Technical College has adjusted several programs to make them completely online while still maintaining the same standards that TSTC is known for.

Associate Vice President of Distance Learning Gina Cano-Monreal discussed the remote learning options available for students at TSTC.

What are the benefits of distance learning?

 There are numerous benefits to TSTC online learning programs and courses. TSTC online programs and courses are of equal value to the accredited quality curriculum offered in face-to-face programs.

The online courses are designed and taught by faculty who are subject-matter experts in their fields and who have relevant, real-world experience. TSTC online faculty are always an email or phone call away. They are committed to supporting students along their educational journey.

Convenience is another benefit. Online courses still have deadlines, but most coursework can be completed when it is most convenient for students and their schedules.

What kind of support do these students receive?

TSTC online students are entitled to the same support services as TSTC’s on-campus students. Online students are provided these services via a variety of methods.

Is distance learning at TSTC going to continue to grow?

 TSTC will continue to grow its online offerings. Prior to the current pandemic, TSTC offered four of its programs entirely online. As a response to current circumstances, TSTC is offering 19 of its programs entirely online in addition to an increased number of online courses. Looking past the fall semester, TSTC will be working with programs and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the college’s accrediting agency, to ensure that the increased number of programs selected for online development and delivery meet our TSTC online quality and accreditation standards.

To learn more about distance learning at TSTC, visit https://tstc.edu/tstconline/faqs.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – In recent months the world has gone digital. Learning from home has become the new normal, and that new normal means that even though students may be many miles from a Texas State Technical College campus, they can still receive quality technical instruction.

El Paso resident and New Jersey native Emily Mancini recently became a TSTC Board of Regents honor graduate on her quest to obtain an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology. While her initial goal was to graduate with a 4.0 GPA, the feat was not a simple one.

“Working full time while maintaining a household wasn’t easy,” she said. “Thankfully I was able to take nine credit hours a semester. I wasn’t too overworked, and I could still focus on performing well with all my assignments.”

Mancini’s journey into biomedical equipment technology started in 2014, when she began her education in the U.S. Army. She began working in the field in El Paso the following year.

“I came across TSTC while in search of transferring those credits I had already earned to a state school to complete my associate degree,” she explained. “It took me a few years to get the drive to go back to school, but once I did, I wish I had gone sooner.”

Currently, her occupation as a biomedical equipment technician is keeping her busy.

“I maintain, repair, and calibrate medical equipment technology throughout my hospital, urgent care facilities, and over 30 outlying clinics.”

Despite living in El Paso, her daily commute across state lines into Las Cruces, New Mexico, gives her an opportunity to clear her mind every morning and evening.

“It’s about a 45-minute drive,” she said. “It’s mostly all highway. It’s nice not having to deal with much traffic, and I get to enjoy some alone time.”

Mancini offered words of encouragement for future TSTC students who might follow in her footsteps of graduating with honors.

“Speaking as someone who is not coming right out of high school, it takes definite motivation to want to go back to school,” she said. “It takes even more motivation to graduate with honors, but it is worth it. Be proud of your accomplishments and determination. Don’t settle for ‘well, this is good enough, I just need to pass.’ Do the best you can, and make time to achieve your goals.”

Fall registration is currently underway. To learn more, visit tstc.edu.

(HARLINGEN, Texas) – Jean Lashbrook was 19 when she knew she wanted to change lives serving in the medical field. Her journey as an emergency medical technician and a registered nurse led her to her current role: an associate provost at Texas State Technical College.

“I was recruited by a friend who was working at TSTC at the time,” she recalled. “There was an opening for a registered nurse in the Nursing program, and she kept pushing me to apply. I was content in my position at a public health agency. But after several nudges from her, I applied, was hired, and never looked back. It was one of the best decisions I have made in my life.”

Before becoming associate provost, Lashbrook served as TSTC’s Allied Health division director and prior to that as Nursing Division director, which enabled her to meet TSTC colleagues across the state.

“I have learned so much,” she said. “I am still learning and growing, thanks to TSTC.”

This August, Lashbrook will celebrate 24 years of leaving an impact at TSTC — years in which she has influenced the lives of students, and vice versa.

“One of my best memories is of a student who was being pulled in many different directions by his family,” she said. “They did not think that college was necessary. A couple years after he completed school, he came back in his Border Patrol uniform to show me he went the right way with his education. I was extremely proud of him. I still am.”

Lashbrook’s wisdom in the field of health care has not only helped patients she has met in her career, but also benefited students she has met in the classroom.

“The most enjoyable times I had in the classroom were when I was able to see the light come on when students had an excitement to learn about health care,” she said. “When I worked with dual enrollment students, it was so amazing to see the maturity level from day one up until they completed the program. Watching a 17-year-old student find their passion for what they want to do in life is the best.”

Her guidance did not leave students once they exited the classroom.

“I have watched many of them take care of patients in nursing homes with such care,” she said. “I could tell it was the best life choice for them to pursue.”

With many students starting college at TSTC this fall, she offered her advice for success.

“TSTC is the best-kept secret in the Valley,” she said. “I have worked many years with amazing colleagues who give everything possible to their students. At TSTC, you are not just a number — you are TSTC family. I have always been extremely proud to recruit, teach, mentor and represent this college. I started my education at TSTC and finished my prerequisites here for my degree in nursing. I am TSTC.”

Fall registration is currently underway. To become part of the TSTC family, visit tstc.edu.